Hub Group Inc. Stock Downgraded (HUBG)

NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Hub Group (Nasdaq: HUBG) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and impressive record of earnings per share growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, weak operating cash flow and poor profit margins.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

HUBG's very impressive revenue growth greatly exceeded the industry average of 7.6%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues leaped by 65.8%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.

HUBG has no debt to speak of therefore resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of zero, which we consider to be a relatively favorable sign. Along with the favorable debt-to-equity ratio, the company maintains an adequate quick ratio of 1.39, which illustrates the ability to avoid short-term cash problems.

Net operating cash flow has significantly decreased to -$15.53 million or 375.68% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing to the industry average, the firm's growth rate is much lower.

In its most recent trading session, HUBG has closed at a price level that was not very different from its closing price of one year earlier. This is probably due to its weak earnings growth as well as other mixed factors. Looking ahead, we do not see anything in this company's numbers that would change the one-year trend. It was down over the last twelve months; and it could be down again in the next twelve. Naturally, a bull or bear market could sway the movement of this stock.

Hub Group, Inc., an asset-light freight transportation management company, provides intermodal, truck brokerage, and logistics services in North America. Its intermodal services include arranging for the movement of customers' freight in containers and trailers over long distances. The company has a P/E ratio of 23.6, equal to the average transportation industry P/E ratio and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Hub Group has a market cap of $1.2 billion and is part of the services sector and transportation industry. Shares are down 18.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.